An Unwanted War: The Diplomacy of the United States and Spain Over Cuba, 1895-1898

written by: John L. Offner

Offner clarifies the complex relations of the United States, Spain, and Cuba leading up to the Spanish-American War and contends that the war was not wanted by any of the parties but was nonetheless unavoidable. He shows that a final round of peace negotiations failed in large part because internal political constraints limited diplomatic flexibility.